Mayor poll final list today

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Scrutiny of nomination forms for the June 23 Ranchi mayoral poll was conducted on Thursday with the election officer apparently finding documents of two candidates incomplete.

Although the state election commission will formally announce the names of the final candidates on Friday, sources at Vikas Bhavan, where the scrutiny was done, said that Rose Pravin Tirkey and Antu Tirkey had not submitted completed nomination forms.

As a result, their candidatures might be cancelled, they added.

Sixteen candidates, including former mayor Rama Khalkho, had filed nominations for the mayoral poll till Wednesday.

Sources said each of the 16 forms was examined minutely at the election officer’s office in Vikas Bhavan on Thursday.

“The scrutiny of nomination forms is over and the names will be officially declared tomorrow (Friday),” election officer Ravi Shankar Verma told The Telegraph, refusing to divulge more.

However, sources said Antu and Rose Pravin had left several sections on their forms blank.

“This (incomplete forms) is one of the reasons why candidates are allowed to submit two sets of nomination forms. Around six candidates submitted two sets of nomination forms this time to avoid cancellation of their candidature for any blank section,” said an official.

While Antu refused to speak on the issue, Rose Pravin said: “I am currently in Calcutta. I got to hear from the media that there are flaws in my form although I am yet to get an official intimation from the election office. I cannot do much now if the news is indeed true and my candidature stands cancelled.”

While Khalkho is being backed by the Congress, Asha enjoys BJP’s support and Varsha Ajsu’s.

A lesser candidate count will solve the EVM issue. This is an EVM has only 16 buttons. If the number of final candidates comes to 16, two EVMs will be required because there is the NOTA option as well.

Symbols will be distributed among the final candidates at Vikas Bhavan on Saturday.